VicRoads has just launched an updated Making Roads Motorcycle Friendly guide targeted at road designers and road maintenance crew to address common issues that we motorcyclists encounter.
While we have been critical before of state governments, especially Victoria, for their lack of road maintenance with a particular view to keep safe for riders, this is a promising move.
It also addresses the issue of wire rope barriers which many riders view as dangerous to them.
The guide points out that “consideration of motorcyclist risk should be included when deciding on barrier type”.
However, it says that in places where wire rope barriers are used post protectors should be installed on “popular motorcycle routes, especially where the risk of post impact is high such as in curves”.
While many riders might not like any wire rope barriers, at least this guide shows how engineers can make roads safer for us.
Now we just have to hope Victoria and other states put it into practice.
The development of the updated manual has been overseen by Australian road safety consultancy Safe System Solutions Pty Ltd which has also audited several thousand kilometres of road in Tasmania, Victoria, New Zealand and Western Australia for rider safety.
Safe System Solutions Research and Evaluations Lead and motorcyclist Dr Tana Tan says he hopes the guide will be used by road designers and road maintenance engineers right around Australia.
Dr Tana TanHe says riders should make their local council’s road safety officer aware of the report which you can read by clicking here.
“We really want to spread the word far and wide on this guide as it tends to get buried under lots of other guides,” he says.
Dr Tan says auditing roads is one part of their three-point strategy to improve motorcycle safety.
The others are: training engineers, road designers and road maintenance crews on what constitutes a safe road for riders through their Making Roads Motorcycle Friendly and Road Maintenance for Motorcycle Safety Courses and their consulting, research and evaluation services for motorcycle safety.